You are here

Stanwich Advantage

At Stanwich, students are encouraged to:

Be Their Best
Help Others Be Their Best
Make God's World a Better Place

It is this distinctive values-based, character-building education that sets Stanwich apart.

From the moment students arrive each morning and shake their teacher's hand, their values-based education begins. All students attend morning meetings which build community and instill in students a sense of purpose and belonging. Meetings begin with song and end with a non-denominational prayer. During meetings, students recite the Pledge of Allegiance, recognize birthdays and student achievements, and discuss the issues of the day.

Weekly values and ethics classes are taught to students by the school's team of administrators. In the Primary House, these classes include a story with a pertinent moral or lesson. In the Intermediate and Upper School, classes involve discussion of current events and adolescent issues. Monthly mottos and themes are emphasized by teachers throughout the day. The Stanwich Seven guide these themes across all the houses: Courage, Compassion, Commitment, Forgiveness, Honesty, Wisdom and Joy.

Teachers model the behaviors that the school advocates such as kindness, generosity, perseverance and service to others. At assemblies, teachers are invited to relate personal experiences that underscore these messages. Teachers eat lunch and spend recess with their classes; they get to know the whole child. Many teachers also attend student activities after school such as drama productions, art festivals, sporting events and social gatherings.

The Stanwich School recognizes that parents and families are an essential and integral component in encouraging students to embrace its values. Therefore, parental involvement is actively promoted in many aspects of school life. Many parents attend morning meetings and assemblies to hear the school's leaders emphasize the school's mission and show their support for what the school is trying to accomplish. Many school events such as community service projects and forums for guest speakers are organized by parents. Parents participate in monthly values assignments and are called upon to discuss their life experiences with students. Parents are also asked to read a book each summer that reflects the school's mission.

The school has also established unique traditions that reinforce its mission. For example, each year the school celebrates Charter Day, the anniversary of the founding of the school. Students reflect on what Stanwich means to them, guest speakers address the importance of the Stanwich mission, and a school-wide community service project is undertaken.

Come visit us at The Stanwich School and you will see what the Heart of Stanwich is all about.

From the moment students arrive each morning and shake their teacher's hand, their values-based education begins.